Graduating Soon? Make sure Health Insurance is on your To-Do List

ST. PAUL, Minn.-Graduation is a time for reflection, celebration and anticipation for what's ahead. It's also a time to think about starting life in the "real world" on the right foot. That's why MNsure is launching the "Graduate with Health Coverage" campaign to remind young men and women they may be eligible for affordable health insurance through the state's health insurance marketplace.

"College students may be young invincibles, but just one unforeseen accident or chronic condition can quickly add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs without health insurance coverage," said CEO Scott Leitz. "We know many young people will be getting health insurance coverage either through a new employer or through parents, but for students without those options, MNsure may be the place to find coverage at the best price."

Though the open enrollment period for 2015 has ended, people with qualifying life events can still enroll, and college graduates may fall into that category.

College graduates who experience a qualifying life event-such as the loss of university- or employer-sponsored health insurance that meets minimum essential coverage standards-may be eligible to enroll through MNsure. Graduates whose income makes them eligible for MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance, and who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance, can also enroll through MNsure year round.

"We know that a lot of our students don't even think about having health insurance until they find a need. They come into our clinic and we find out that they don't have health insurance," said Corie Beckermann, director of Student Health Services at St. Cloud State University. "One of the great things we've been able to do is partner with MNsure-certified navigators and send referrals when we see people in the clinic and they're not insured. We take that opportunity to have that teachable moment."

The 2016 open enrollment period is scheduled to begin November 1, 2015, and end on January 31, 2016. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year round. As of May 2014, 95 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage-the highest percentage in state history.